Work-based learning (WBL)is a progressive, multi-year sequence of instructional activities that extends students’ learning from school into a real-world, work-related context. These experiences allow students to build a bridge from adolescence to adulthood

Activities

WBL activities can occur in any grade - at any school; it is a core strategy in Career and Technical Education (CTE). Below are just a few examples of different types WBL that prepare your students to fully participate outside the classroom:

Scope and Sequence

Outcomes

Quality Work-Based Learning gives students opportunities to receive authentic feedback from adults in a particular industry and guides them to:

identify and develop their strengths – the intersection of their interests and their abilities

map a set of accessible career pathways where there is a demand for workers with their strengths

develop a portfolio of accomplishments that show they play a role within a larger organization and demonstrate, for themselves, a degree of mastery in authentic settings (including professional credentials and content for resumes and application essays, etc.)

build relationships with adults outside the classroom – with peers and elders, mentors and sponsors who can provide a bridge into postsecondary working communities and guide students to a meaningful definition of college and career success